The House committee on national security and border affairs will inspect a Xin Ke Yuan Steel Co steel factory in Rayong early next month, following allegations of illegal operations as well as concerns over environmental compliance…

He said the planned visit is to look into reports that the construction of a second factory of the Xin Ke Yuan Steel Company in Rayong's Pluak Daeng district has been completed despite a suspension order.

Xin Ke Yuan Steel Co has come under scrutiny since the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok's Chatuchak district in the March 28 earthquake.

The skyscraper was being built by ITD-CREC, a joint venture between SET-listed Italian-Thai Development Plc and China Railway No.10 Thailand Co, with Xin Ke Yuan Steel Co supplying the steel for the SAO building project.

The Chinese firm also drew attention in December last year when its factory in Rayong was closed down due to an accident involving a gas tank leak…

The number of Thai workers employed by Xin Ke Yuan Steel Co accounts for 9.4% of the workforce, with the rest being migrant workers, he said.